Advances in Solar Thermal Utilization
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (7 November 2021) | Viewed by 502
Special Issue Editors
Interests: thermoelectric energy systems; electronics cooling; carbon neutralization technology; solar energy utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: thermoelectric energy harvesting; thermoelectric cooling; heat transfer; fluid mechanics; renewable energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Solar thermal utilization has attracted increasing international attention in recent years as global consensus has been reached regarding the need to reduce the use of fossil fuel and the emission of CO2. Though challenging because energy density is relatively low, the large-scale utilization of solar energy is still thought to be one of the most promising clean energy sources for human beings in the future. Solar thermal utilization consists of three main sections: solar heat collection, solar thermal storage, and solar thermal application. Solar collection methods include flat plate collectors, vacuum tube collectors, concentrators and air collectors, and more. The key to improving heat collection efficiency is to create a heat source with a temperature which is as high as possible and simultaneously reduce heat loss. Solar thermal storage involves sensible heat storage, latent heat storage, and chemical reaction heat storage. The application forms of solar heat include solar hot water, HVAC, thermal power generation, drying, solar cookers, solar houses, greenhouses, solar pools, seawater desalination, industrial heating, and solar ovens.
Though much progress has been achieved in the past 20 years, more research should be conducted to identify ways to enhance solar thermal utilization efficiency, improve thermal storage safety, and reduce costs. There is an urgent need for breakthroughs in the key technologies that can make the solar thermal utilization system more competitive. Recently, combinations of the solar thermal utilization system with advanced technologies in thermal and fluid science and engineering, materials science, membrane science, etc., have gradually attracted attention from many researchers.
This Special Issue focuses on various aspects of solar thermal utilization, including the design and optimization of solar thermal utilization components and systems, new applications of solar thermal systems, their impact on the environment, their costs, and their life cycle assessment (LCA). Interdisciplinary studies on the solar thermal utilization system will be particularly welcomed.
Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
Solar collection method and efficiency;
Thermal energy storage material and system;
Thermal isolation method and material;
Maximum power point tracking;
Solar thermal power generation;
Solar energy for HVAC;
Solar house, solar chimney, solar cooker, solar drying, solar industrial heating, and so on;
Innovative applications of solar thermal utilization for negative emissions, seawater desalination, and so on;
Economic, environmental, and/or LCA aspects of solar thermal utilization.
Prof. Dr. Tingzhen Ming
Prof. Dr. Yongjia Wu
Dr. Yueping Fang
Guest Editors
Keywords
- Solar energy collection
- Solar thermal energy
- Solar energy storage
- Solar thermal utilization
- Solar thermal power generation
- Solar energy efficiency
- Cost of solar energy utilization
